What appeared to be a jack-o-lantern-like smile on the sun’s surface was actually a NASA observatory’s image of splotches on the sun’s surface that are cooler than the surrounding regions. The image was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and posted by the space agency last week.
The post sparked a flood of comments from people speculating on what the pattern of unpredictable black dots might be. The United Kingdom‘s Science and Technology Facilities Council responded by adding a pumpkin to the image and converting it into a jack-o’-lantern, while NASA’s official Twitter account simply referred to it as a “smiling” sun.
Others observed the “Ghostbusters” Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a lion, a blobfish, or different snack foods with cheerful faces. However, the dark regions that make up the face pattern are coronal holes, which, according to the space agency, show up as erratic black patches when the sun is scanned in ultraviolet light or some types of X-ray pictures.
Coronal holes seem darker because they are less dense and less heated than their surroundings. They may suddenly appear on the solar surface. Additionally, the structure of their magnetic field creates coronal holes, which cause streams of the solar wind, or charged particles, to be released at speeds of more than one million miles per hour (1.6 million kilometers per hour).

The strength of these winds allows them to reach Earth. Solar wind activity is mostly refracted by our planet’s magnetic field, which serves as a shield, while it has the potential to damage the atmosphere. Such photographs of the sun are frequently taken by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, which also keeps a near-constant eye on its activity.
The sun’s “smiley face”🌞 is actually “gleaming laser beams sending particles that can cause severe disruptions to the atmosphere on Earth” according to @UCSDPhysics @DrBrianKeating. Hmm, is this why Instagram isn’t working today?🤔 https://t.co/j7TFiM84Le pic.twitter.com/oIdV2rKvYT
— UC San Diego School of Physical Sciences (@UCSDPhySci) October 31, 2022
The Living With a Star Program of the space agency, which intends to examine how solar activity affects our home planet and the area between the Earth and our home star, includes the orbiting observatory, which was put into orbit in 2010. The Solar Dynamics Observatory is a Nasa project that aims to discover the origins of solar activity and the mechanisms through which it influences space weather.
Happy #SunDay! In the past week of space weather, there have been 3 solar flares, 23 coronal mass ejections, and no geomagnetic storms. The video below is from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory, showing a smiling Sun near the end. pic.twitter.com/YVpM2vK0On
— NASA Sun, Space & Scream 🎃 (@NASASun) October 30, 2022
The observatory’s spacecraft, which has been in orbit around the sun since its initial launch on February 11, 2010, collects data on the sun’s temperature, magnetic field, and energy production. Many people have commented on Nasa’s snapshot since it was released, drawing parallels between the image and things like a carved Halloween pumpkin, a lion, and the sun from the Teletubbies.
Happy #SunDay! In the past week of space weather, there have been 3 solar flares, 23 coronal mass ejections, and no geomagnetic storms. The video below is from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory, showing a smiling Sun near the end. pic.twitter.com/YVpM2vK0On
— NASA Sun, Space & Scream 🎃 (@NASASun) October 30, 2022
A user said, “Doesn’t he look like the Stay Puft marshmallow man from Ghostbusters?” Like the happy faces on BN Mini chocolate biscuits, the sun has been likened by another. Experts warn that a solar storm might hit Earth on Saturday due to the sun’s coronal holes, despite the sun’s seemingly pleasant appearance.
It’s time to suit up, astronauts! 👨🚀
Are you, your friends, or kiddos wearing a space costume this Halloween? Share it with us using #NASACostume so we can see! pic.twitter.com/OjHYEsfb9M
— NASA (@NASA) October 29, 2022
According to spaceweather.com, the sun is sending Earth a quadruple torrent of solar wind. Magnetic fields on Earth can be distorted by solar storms, which are a collection of mass- and energy-emitting eruptions from the solar surface. Thus, the polar lights, also known as auroras, become more noticeable during severe storms, both in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Final Words
A NASA observatory captured what looked like a jack-o’-lantern grin on the sun, but it was actually patches of the solar surface that are cooler than the surrounding areas. This picture was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and released a week ago. This is all about this article. for more updates, Stay tuned with us on our site leedaily.com